Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.

That teacher's advice is very meaningful to me.

Breakdown of Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• sangat: very
• guru: the teacher
• bagi: for
• saya: me
• nasihat: the advice
• berarti: meaningful

Questions & Answers about Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.

In nasihat guru itu, does this mean “the teacher’s advice” or “advice for the teacher”? How does possession work here?

In Indonesian, when two nouns are placed together, the usual pattern is:

[thing possessed] + [possessor]

So:

• nasihat guru itu literally = advice (of) that teacher → that teacher’s advice / the advice of that teacher

It does not mean advice for that teacher. To say advice for the teacher, you would normally say:

• nasihat untuk guru itu
• nasihat bagi guru itu

So the original sentence clearly means “that teacher’s advice is very meaningful to me / means a lot to me.”

What exactly does itu do in guru itu? Is it like “that” in English or like “the”?

Itu can function both as:

1. A demonstrative: “that” (pointing to something specific but not near you)
2. A kind of definite marker: similar to “the” in making something specific/known

In guru itu:

• It often translates as “that teacher” (a specific teacher already known in context).
• In some contexts, it can feel more like “the teacher”, because Indonesian doesn’t have a separate word for “the”.

So:

• guru = a teacher (in general)
• guru itu = that specific teacher / the teacher (we both know which one)
• nasihat guru itu = that teacher’s advice / the advice of the (aforementioned) teacher

You could also say nasihat dari guru itu (“advice from that teacher”) if you want to make it crystal clear.

Why is there no word for “is” in Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya? Could I say adalah there?

Indonesian usually does not use a separate word for “to be” (like is/are) before adjectives.

The pattern is simply:

subject + adjective

So:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti.
  = That teacher’s advice is very meaningful.

Adding adalah before an adjective is usually ungrammatical or at least unnatural in simple sentences like this:

• ❌ Nasihat guru itu adalah sangat berarti. (sounds wrong/odd)

Adalah is mainly used when:

• Linking a subject to a noun or noun phrase:
  
  • Dia adalah guru. = He/She is a teacher.
  • Indonesia adalah negara kepulauan. = Indonesia is an archipelagic country.
• In more formal/explanatory writing.

So for adjectives like berarti, penting, bagus, you normally don’t use adalah.

What does berarti mean here exactly? Is it like “meaningful” or like “means”?

In this sentence, berarti functions like an adjective meaning:

• meaningful
• significant
• important (emotionally/subjectively)

So:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.
  ≈ That teacher’s advice is very meaningful to me / means a lot to me.

Berarti can also be used more verb-like to mean “to mean” in explanations:

• Ini berarti kita harus belajar lebih giat.
  = This means we have to study harder.

But:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti is best thought of as “is very meaningful / very important (to me)” rather than a literal “means” plus an object.

What is the difference between bagi saya and untuk saya? Could I say Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti untuk saya?

Both bagi and untuk can often be translated as “for”, but there is a nuance:

• bagi

  • Slightly more formal/literary.
  • Often used for perspectives, opinions, significance:
    • Bagi saya, keluarga itu sangat penting.
      = For me, family is very important.
  • Feels very natural in sentences about emotional or personal significance.

• untuk

  • Very common and neutral.
  • Often used for purpose, recipient, or benefit:
    • Hadiah untuk kamu. = A gift for you.
    • Ini penting untuk kesehatan. = This is important for health.

In your sentence, both are possible:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya. ✔
• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti untuk saya. ✔ (also acceptable)

Bagi saya sounds just a bit more “formal”/reflective about your personal point of view, but in everyday speech many people will use untuk saya and be understood perfectly.

Could I leave out bagi saya? What changes in meaning if I just say Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti?

Yes, you can say:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti.

This simply means:

• That teacher’s advice is very meaningful/important.

Without bagi saya, it sounds more general:

• The advice is meaningful in general, or to people in general, or in the situation.

With bagi saya, you specify that the significance is from your personal perspective:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.
  = That teacher’s advice is very meaningful to me (personally).

So bagi saya narrows it down to your own feeling/experience.

What does sangat mean, and can I replace it with sekali or banget?

Sangat is an intensifier meaning “very”.

• sangat berarti = very meaningful

Other common ways to say “very”:

1. sekali

   • Literally “once”, but as an intensifier it means “very”.
   • Placed after the adjective:
     • Nasihat guru itu berarti sekali bagi saya.
       = That teacher’s advice is very meaningful to me.

2. banget

   • Colloquial/informal, like “really” / “so”:
     • Nasihat guru itu berarti banget buat aku.
       (much more casual: also buat and aku are informal)

Formality scale (roughly):

• sangat → neutral/formal
• sekali → neutral, very common
• banget → informal, spoken

Can I say nasihat dari guru itu instead of nasihat guru itu? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say both, but there’s a nuance:

1. Nasihat guru itu

   • Very natural and common.
   • Literally “that teacher’s advice”.
   • Emphasizes the possessive/attributive relationship.

2. Nasihat dari guru itu

   • Literally “advice from that teacher”.
   • Emphasizes the source/origin of the advice.

In everyday use, they often overlap in meaning. In your sentence:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.
• Nasihat dari guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.

Both are acceptable and easily understood. The first one feels a bit smoother and more typical.

Could guru itu mean “those teachers” (plural), or is it only singular?

Indonesian usually does not mark plural with an ending like English -s. Context decides whether something is singular or plural.

So guru itu can mean:

• that teacher (singular), or
• those teachers (plural) – if the context clearly refers to more than one person already.

If you want to make the plural explicit, you can say:

• para guru itu = those teachers
• guru-guru itu = those teachers (colloquial and very common)

Examples:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.
  → by default, most learners will read this as “that teacher’s advice…”
• Nasihat para guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.
  = The advice of those teachers is very meaningful to me.

Why is the pronoun saya used here, and how would the sentence change with aku?

Saya and aku both mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality:

• saya

  • More formal or neutral-polite.
  • Used in writing, with strangers, in polite conversation, in class, etc.

• aku

  • More informal/intimate.
  • Used with friends, family, people your age (depending on region), in songs.

Your sentence:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya.
  → Polite/neutral. Very appropriate in a school context talking about a teacher.

More informal version:

• Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti buat aku.
  
  • buat instead of bagi/untuk is also casual.

Choose saya if you’re unsure; it’s the safest in most settings.

Is nasihat the same as saran? When should I use nasihat instead of saran?

Both nasihat and saran can be translated as “advice”, but:

• nasihat

  • Often has a moral, guiding, or elder-to-younger feel.
  • Common in contexts like parents, teachers, religious leaders, older people, or serious topics.
  • Can feel a bit more serious/weighty.

• saran

  • More like “suggestion / recommendation”.
  • Feels more neutral and practical, less moral.
  • Used a lot for feedback, ideas, proposals:
    • Ada saran? = Any suggestions?

In the sentence about a guru (teacher), nasihat sounds very natural, because we often talk about a teacher’s guidance/advice in a serious or formative sense.

You could say:

• Saran guru itu sangat membantu saya.
  = That teacher’s suggestion is very helpful to me.

But nasihat emphasizes the guiding/mentoring aspect more than just a practical suggestion.

Are there other natural ways to express the same idea as Nasihat guru itu sangat berarti bagi saya?

Yes, here are some common alternatives with slightly different nuances:

1. Nasihat guru itu sangat penting bagi saya.

   • penting = important
   • Emphasizes importance/value more than emotional impact.

2. Nasihat guru itu benar-benar berarti bagi saya.

   • benar-benar = really / truly
   • Slightly stronger emphasis: “really does mean a lot to me”.

3. Nasihat guru itu tidak akan pernah saya lupakan.

   • = I will never forget that teacher’s advice.
   • Expresses strong impact without using berarti.

4. More informal:

   • Nasihat guru itu berarti banget buat saya.
     (very casual, spoken)

All of these keep the core idea: that the teacher’s advice had a strong positive impact on you.